Automatic tractor steering device



April 22, 1930. v

M. B WILLIAMS I 1,755,623 AUTOMATIC TRACTOR STEERING DEVICE Filed Oct. 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o r o b e m L J L\ April 22, 1930; M. B. WILLIAMS 1,755,623

AUTOMATIC TRACTOR STEERING DEVICE Filed Oct. 4, 192.8 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Alb ing this invention;

r Patented Apr. 22,

I UiNi-Tt literati; Bi; WILLIAMS, or PLAINVI W, TEXAS nao gwrerrnAcToR srennine DEVICE This-invention reIatesto-an automatic-steer ingdevicefor tractors the' primary; obj ect of the invention being to so; control tractor operati ngplowsofthe disk orlharrowtype that after the iz'orma'tion of the'jfirst furrow,- the tractor can be left unattended to conti-nue,

the plowing operation, the steering controllingdevice operatinginthe previouslyformed furrow to guide the tracto'r in the formation ofthe succeeding furrow; r V i Another obv'ect ofithe inventionfis'to pro vide an automatic steering controlling means for tractor-plows designed toturn the tractor about sharp corners'o-r substantially an ular turns. V V

;till another object of the invention is to a 1 providean automaticsteering device fortrac tor plows inwhich the operation of the trac' torwill be; stopped 'in the event that the steer-E 29 ing device"leaves the-iur-row in which it is travelling.

. The inventionv further aims to provide [an automatic steering device ot the above de-- scribed character which is of simple but" strong and durable construction; unfailing'in V operation, comparatively simple toconstructand easily attached toratmctor;

The invention will be best understood-from I a consideration v 013 the: following; detailed de; scription taken .:in connection, with the ac companying drawings forming part-qr this specification, with the nderstandi how; ever, that the-invention is not confined to anystrict-conformity with the showing of the? drawings but maybe changedorfmodifiedgso long as'such changes or modifications" mark no m er al p r u f ee ih" sali nt ea tures ofjtheinyention as expressed in ap-t pe i .d 'aims. Y

In-the drawings Figure 1 isa View partly and t e ream! partly in horizontal-section of? H steering mechanism control ol ex rice"embody FigureQ is a sect'ionalVIQWtaken:substam tially upon the; line-fl gotfFi-gure 15;;- Figure 3'is1 a side eleyatio'nal Viewdf the 7 lead wheeLot the steering mechanism; and the disks-associated therewith;

. Figure 4-13 a sectional View taken substantially upon: the line ofFi gure Referring to the drawingsin detail where in like numerals of" reference ind ic a tecorre sponding parts throughout th e several Views; thenumeral 1 indicates a main-guide, arm,v

one end of which isturnedatright angles as'indi'cated at Qto extend through-the spaced alined bearings: 3 0i a bifurcated supporting bracke't4. The furcations 5 of this brac'k'et are ranged innyertically spaced' relation so that the upper 'furcations will engage over' the upper encl ot a spindle pin-6 of a tractor steering meclian'isinwhilethe lower furcati'on engages'over the .lower endof this pi'n, suitable securing de'vi'cesbeing used to'mai ntain la'r acting lJQillOfdibl'lQ rodinadjusteclipositiion the bearings v8.

' a The bracket. .4.- is connected fixed tion of the tractorisuchpasthei,axles12 by a spring .13, connection between the spring and theiaxle, at 3% point: remote from the endwhere:

the bracket is. positioned, being made 1 through the medium oi a'turnbuckle'l lz The P E 'IlgE 13 operates to: normally pull the bracket 4 inwardly so that? the: supporting guide wheelher'ein'aiften described, carried at v the forwardend of the arm 1, is; normally p lled toward-the inner side: of a fiurrow in Whichjit isoperating;

Lateral adIn stmen't-of-the angular portion 2 he amt: Lie made so that the arm will extendzforwagrdlyiof the tractor. in al, line out.

side of the adjacent-guide wheel 9 The outer endof the arm isidirect ed outwardly and forwardly-"at an: oblique angle as indicated at. 1-56ai1-d this; obliquely angled portion terminates inf arret urn portion 16 which constitutes a stub axle for the guide wheel 1 i As shown thisstub azgle or'po-rti-on 1 6 arranged at substantially right angles to the main portion of the arml and terminates at apointwherethe wheel 17 will be held in alinement with the guide arm. The hub 18 of the guide wheel may be provided with a flange 19 at that end where the stub axle 16 enters, suitable semi-circular guide casings 2O beingsecured to the stub axle and engaging over this flange to make a dust tight bearing connection and at the same time acting :to holdthe wheel on the stub axle, I

The obliquely directed portion of the arm 1 has secured therete"at itsforward end the forwardly extending auxiliary arm 21 uponthe forward end of which is pivotally mounted astub disk 22, this arm 21 being 7 so angled with relation to the supporting portion 15 of the main'arimas to position the disk 22 directly. forwardly of the guide wheel 17.;

This stubvdisk 22 operates to cause the arm '1 to swinglaterally ofthepath oftravel of the tractor when a turn in the furrow in which the guide wheel 17 is moving is reached by abutting the outer wall of the furrowand ride mg thereagainst until the guide wheel swlngs around theangle, thus causing the tractor to make a turn :correspon iing'to the angle in the furrow. The height of the auxiliary arm 21 is normally such as to maintain the disk 22 from contact withthe ground, except when a turn in the furrow is reached as just described or when the guide wheel rides up upon'one side of the furrow, at'which time it comes into contact with the furrow wall. a a

- Onthe inner side of the guide arm l there V is secured to the guide arm a secondauxiliary forwardly extending arm 28, this arm carrying upon its forward end and adjacent the inner side of the guide wheel 17, a disk 24, which while inormally supported free from contact withtheground acts in the event that the guide wheel 17 moves inwardly or begins to ride up upon the inner wall of the furrow, to

' push the guide wheel-back to position by contacting' with the inner wall.

Pivotally attached at one end to a suitable bracket 25 mounted upon the stub shaft 16, is

I a vertically shiftable outwardly directed lever 26, the outer end of whichpivotally' supports a switch control wheel 27, this wheel being arranged to travel when in contact with the ground in a path substantially parallel with the path oftravel of the guide wheel 17. The outer end of the lever 26 is normally maintained in its proper position by a brace 28, one

. end of which is connected thereto as indicated at 29 while the other-end is secured by a suitable bracket or in any other suitable manner to the arm 1, as indicated at 30.

' Mounted upon the oblique portion 15 of the arm 1 is an electric switch 31 of any suitable character designed to be operated by a swinging arm 32, this arm extending forwardly be-- neath the arm 26 in the manner shown. This switch 31is suitably connected with the ignsaees nition circuit of the tractor to which the device is attached and is so adjusted that when the arm 32 thereof is pushed downwardly, it will operate to short circuit the tractor ignition system and stop the operation of the tractor.

The structure including the arm 26, wheel 27 switchand arm 31 and .32 comprises a safety element for the tractor in the event that the guide wheel 17 rides up one side of the furrow in which it 'is't'ravelling and escapes therefrom. When this occurs the guide arm-' 1 will, of course, be lifted at its forward end and the switchwheel 27 will drop, bringing its supporting arm or lever 26 down upon the lever 32 of the switch 31=operatingthe switch to short circuit the ignition system of the tractor, thus interrupting the operation of the same.

a From the f )r,egoing description, it will be furrow in which itis travelling the wheel 27 and, its supporting arm willdrop to operate theswitch32 in the manner previously described'to halt the 'tractor,"thus preventing the same from running wild and causing possible damage, to itself or surrounding property. Y i e Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1 An automatic steering mechanism control for tractor plows comprising a main guide arm designed'tofbe connected to atractor steering mechanism, a furrow following element supported by and at the forward end ofthe guide arm, and means carried by the arm forwardly of the element for taking control of the sameat a furrow turn to swing the arm about the turn. 2

2. A steering mechanism control for tractor plows comprising a guide arm, means for connecting said guide arm at one end to a tractor steering mechanism to extend for.-

wardly of the tractor, afurrow following element carried by the arm, and auxiliary control elements associated with said furrow following element acting to maintain the first-mentioned element in the center of the furrow, one ofsaid auxiliary elements furtheroperating at a turn in the furrow to swing the arm about the turn.

' 3. In a steering mechanism control for tractorplowsamain guide arm designed to project forwardly of a tractor, means for connecting the arm to the tractor steering mechanism to control the same, a furrow following element carried by the arm, and means operating upon the displacement of the element from the furrow to stop the operation of the tractor. 1 I

4;. A steering mechanism control for'motor operated plows having a steering mechanism comprisinga swinging bracket designed tobe coupled with said steering mechanism, an

arm carried by the bracket to extend forwardly of the mechanism, a" furrow following wheel carried by the arm, and a pair of disk memberscarried bythearm and normally free from contact with the ground designed to engage the sides of the furrow under certain conditions to maintain the wheel in 'po-' sition therein. I

j 5. A steering mechanism control for motor operated plows having a steering mechanism comprising a swinging bracket designed to be coupled with said steering mechanism, an

. arm carried by the bracket to extend forwardly ofthe mechanism, a furrow following wheel carried by the arm, and a pair of disk members carried by the armand normally free from contact with the ground designed to engage the sides of the furrow under certain conditions to maintain the wheel in position therein, one of said disk members being .arranged forwardly of said wheel and at an angle to the direction of travel thereof to abut the side of the furrow at aturn to cause,

the arm to swing about the turn.

p 6. A steermg mechanlsm control for motor operated plows havmg a steering mechanism 7 comprising a swinging bracket designed to be coupled with said. steering mechanism, an

arm carried by the bracket to extend 'forwardly of the mechanism, a furrow following 1 wheel carried by the arm, a pair of disk members carried by the arm and normally free from contact with the ground designed to engage the sides of the furrow under cer tain conditions to maintain the wheel in po-" sition therein, and meanscarried by the arm designed to operate uponflthe movement of said wheel up one side of the furrow to stop the operation of the motor operated plow.

7. An automatic control forthe steering mechanism of a tractor plow havingthe usual stub shaft spindles and tie rod connecting 8. An automatic control for the steering" mechanism of a tractor plow having the usual stub shaft spindles and tie rod connecting the stub shafts, comprising a bracket de-;' signed to be secured to one of said spindles,

means for connecting one end of the tie'rod to the bracket, a main guide arm having a lateral extension at one end pivotally secured to said bracket, a furrow followingwheel end of said pivoted arm, and a switch mechanism designed to be operated by the clownward movement of said pivoted arm upon the raising of said guide wheel, to short circuit an ignition system of the tractor;

9. A steering mechanism control fortractor plows, comprising a guide arm, means for connecting said guide arm at one end to a tractor steering mechanism to extend forwardly of the tractor, a furrow following element carried by the arm, and means carried by the arm forwardly and at one side of said element for maintaining the element in the, center of the row.

In testimony whereof Irhereuntoaifix' my signature.

MARK B. V VILLIAMS.

the stub shafts, comprising a bracket designed to be secured to one of said spindles, means for connecting one end of the tie rodtothe bracket, a main guide arm having a lateral extension at one end pivotally secured to said bracket, a furrow following wheel carried vat the other end of said arm, a pair of auxil- 'iary arms carried by the guide arm,'and a disk member carried by each auxiliary arm, one of said auxiliary arms extending to a point beyond the guide wheeland supporting a disk I forwardly thereof at an oblique angle with respect to the path of travel of the tractor. 

